Friday 24th - FINAL ENTRY - Mac and Duffin (The staff of Wisdom)
Wow, what a week we have had! I think back to our arrival early on the Friday with a lot of curious faces from a team that was already gelling well during our travel to Romania. We set about planning our week and collecting the equipment on our first day and getting to know our new environment. On the Sunday we visited a salt mine not far from our home for the week. This was a fantastic experience and a welcome break from the incredible heat above ground. In the afternoon we visited the largest city in the region and were able to see the local football stadium, a large mall and we even managed to get Lyle onto a boat!
The next morning we went for our first visit to the Orphanage at Ilisuia where we met some of the children we would entertain for the week. We were also reunited with our final team member, the fabulous Miss Duffin.
Over the course of the week the team continued to visit the orphanage and make a real difference to the lives of these children. They brought happiness and fun with each and every visit. On our final day it was evident that the experience had been very touching for our pupils as they were clearly upset to be leaving. They found it very difficult to say goodbye having formed real attachments over the course of the week. As teachers we were extremely proud of everything they had achieved at the orphanage and it was difficult to see them upset. We know that the experience has been character building for them and they all felt this was one of the most valuable experiences of the whole project.
In addition to their visits to the orphanage, the teams took part in three small projects over the week. Two of these involved painting and mending fences for elderly widows in the community. We were told that without the money we had raised and the support we provided while we were there, that these projects would not have been possible. The pupils themselves were very proud of the physical impact they had made on the lives of these women. The other small project involved helping to improve the facilities at the holiday camp facility at Vladesei to prepare for the summer of activities that lies ahead.
Our final main activity was visiting a High School in Dej. Over the course of the week our pupils taught some of the Romanian pupils all about Scotland through a range of fun activities. It provided the Romanian pupils a welcome opportunity to practice their English and also to make friends from overseas. From the number of Facebook and Snapchat connections being made by our pupils, I can tell they achieved the objective and have made lasting friends and lasting memories.
We are both extremely proud of everything that our pupils achieved over the course of this week. We have no doubt that this year's project has been an overwhelming success. The pupils are a fantastic group who have become good friends over the course of this week. They have kept each other going and have kept us laughing all week. It is rare to get such a great opportunity to see a group of young people truly rise to such a challenge and it was a pleasure to be a part of it with them.
Mac and Duffin
Thursday 23rd - Katie
On Thursday everyone awoke again at the early time of 6.00am. Thanks again to Abby for keeping us all on the ball. Breakfast was served in the nearby restaurant which we had become accustomed to, although we are all a bit sick of eggs...
After our adventurous breakfast, we walked in what some would call, 'tapps aff' weather to the school where we began a rip off version of the Olympics.... Really races and tug of war, safe to say even with everyone's favourite Konrad's help, the girls still lost. It was an emotional goodbye to our new friends as they put on a show for us, dancing, singing and acting (I had no part in the organisation). Tears, hugs and 60 friend requests later we departed with Levi off to the orphanage.
As ever, the orphanage was emotional, we played with a parachute - yes, we are 17, it was all for the kids... Saying goodbye to the kids we had come to know was very hard. There's no easy way to leave them in their circumstances, (unless you are Kirsty, however Mac has assured us there is not a child in her case).
Later that evening we had a barbecue, and personally I've never seen as many grilled veggies, it was sweet bliss. We arrived home at Elpis and began packing our cases, some more successfully than others I will admit (sorry mothers). Our favourite teachers then took us on a walk... TO A PUB! Although, we were told we were not allowed alcohol, no tears shed...
While we drank our variations of lemonade lightning stuck and the power went out. The pub was shady enough, but no lights, no signal and Lyle, well, no one felt safe. Walking through the dark streets of Romania was terrifying as the lighting was all around.
The last activity of the night involved awards, made by the dedicated Mac and Duffin (note the sarcasm as they were not decorated, shame.)
Good luck dealing with us on our return home, three hours sleep does you wonders!
Wednesday 22nd - Lyle
Once again I wake up to the feeling of a wet towel pressed against my eyes. For some reason, I had dreamed about the death of Robert Plant, a complete ban on soft mints and the war between fans of Tetley Tea and PG Tips. This is still unexplained.
Abby wakes us up once more, forced to suffer the desert heat or tundra chill of an indecisive showerhead. Thankfully, Avon still keeps me right: I look like a male Kylie Jenner with a mane comparable to the mightiest lion.
Breakfast follows- a complete review of our meals shall end my post.
We arrive at the school, once again met by Konrad, everyone's favourite honorary Scotsman. (Alex is also there, but he is speaking to a girl. I am undoubtedly more attractive than her.) Classes generally consist of the pupils we met yesterday, generous enough to supply us with certain... phrases we require. We teach them the words to 'O' Flower of Scotland' yet I am fonder of the Romanian anthem. Overall, a solid 8.2/10.
The sub team I am in is then carted off to Vladesea where we spend countless hours throwing stone slabs from one palette to another. Without Dora's legendary lemonade, I surely would've perished. Our bus driver also needs to be mentioned for his dedication to find me ice cream. I must gift him 10 bani in return.
The other sub team were joined by six Romanian High School Pupils. The children were very happy to see us again and thoroughly enjoyed the parachute games and pretending it was a trampoline. We met Pastor Euan and his family from America who volunteer within Romania. Due to the extensive heat today it was a shorter session as the orphans were too hot and needed to be inside in the shelter. The team worked really hard and kept everyone happy. The bond between the team and the orphans continues to strengthen.
Caked in sweat, I return to take part in a photo competition where I am made to look like a camel in a children's park. Pro-tip: Avoid ants when kneeling lest you suffer their toothy rage. As I write this, I enjoy Dora's homemade muffins. To sum up: Rub-a-Dub-Dub, thanks for the grub.
Review of meals:
Breakfast- Toast and cereal. Cookie Crisp has become tiresome but it keeps me going.
Lunch- That chicken burger with the chips on it, tastes like you can imagine a warm hug would.
Dinner- Beautifully cooked chicken with cauliflower sauce. Baked tatties with egg inside too, but blueberry muffins were the real meal.
(P.S. There was no turtle. There never was. All I wanted was a boat and I was fed lies.)
Tuesday 21st - Kirsty and Kayleigh
Another early start and another hot day. We ventured off to the local high school where we spent our morning interacting with the pupils, attempting our Scottish themed activities we had planned though quickly abandoned them as we realised they would rather hear about our adventurous lives in Scotland... mainly Lewis'. Any questions we were asked were along the lines of, "What's your Snapchat/Insta/Facebook?" and, "Please sign this piece of paper?" We'd be lying if we said we didn't feel like celebrities.
In the afternoon we then split up into two separate teams: one half went to the orphanage and to our delight (Kirsty, Kayleigh, Lewis, Lyle and Chris) we were all reunited with our favourite kids from Monday... Insta pics to follow. The other 6 (Abby, Chelsea, Ali, Daniel, Jacob and Katie), meanwhile, were grafting in the hot sun, painting and repairing a fence for a grateful lady who needed the help. In return they received ample water and delicious food. Alex, one of our translators, gave us a tour around the local town in the evening which we enjoyed. Overall it was another great day.
Monday 20th - Alistair and Daniel
Again the day started early, with Abby waking us up at 6.55 am. The day was humid, unusual for such an early start. We started our day with breakfast. Following a very tiring bus trip to the orphanage, we spent the majority of the day talking to and interacting with the children. As we arrived at the orphanage we were greeted with the orphans: filled with smiles and laughs as we approached them with all their new toys. Our first interaction with the orphans was designing tote bags with fabric pen which went down a treat, and we were all asked to draw different things on the bags. After the children had their faces painted by Katie we all went outside to enjoy the sun, a toasty 30-ish degrees. The kids went wild for all the toys, especially the water guns & inflatable boxing gloves. Overall the time spent at the orphanage was great, we made strong connections with the children and are looking forward to seeing them again tomorrow.
Not long after we arrived back, we sat down for a huge dinner with different varieties of pizzas where we all gathered and recapped on our day.
Sunday 19th - Lewis and Chris
To begin, I will start with the most startling happenings of the day. Today... I saw a turtle. There are those who will tell you that there was no turtle and that I am a filthy liar. However, I know what I saw when I was sat upon the back of that pedalo, I saw his tiny face as he rushed past me winking, we both knew no one would believe the tale. Damn that tiny sea devil.
To start the day off we were woken up by Abby at the disgusting hour of 6:55am, as Daniel had decided to sleep through his alarm after agreeing to wake us all up. Once again we were fed to the point of cereal induced death. Next we met the wonderful Levi, our assigned bus driver for the week, who although was not the most fluent seemed to enjoy tagging along and got a free lunch so didn't seem to be complaining.
For our main activity of the day, we found ourselves in a salt mine. It busier than we thought it was going to be. Lines were long and after walking down a lot of stairs we were just ready to sleep. The temperature of the mine was 12-15 degrees which made us all feel like we were back at home in the cold Scottish weather. One of the first things that caught our eyes was the giant Ferris wheel so the first thing we done is go on this giant Ferris wheel. Next, we went down even further into the mine to a little lake where we waited in line to get a chance of rowing a boat around this lake. Unfortunately we didn't have time to get on them and get back to the group in time. Lyle was the most broken up about not getting to go on the boats but he eventually sucked it up and carried on with his day.
The last two big things we done that day were going to a ginormous shopping mall and going to a lake where we all got go on pedalos and have a few races around the island in the centre of this lake. Before the lake visit we got a chance to visit F.C.R Cluj stadium which was very big just for a lesser known football club.
Saturday 18th - Katie and Jacob
After waking up around 8 with very little sleep, it was safe to say that energy was not at an all-time high. This, however, was soon fixed by the arrival of breakfast which consisted of the most pancakes that have ever been accumulated on one table. Then, with everyone fed and watered, the team was separated into two groups. One group went to do heavy lifting, the other...went to the shop. The next item on the list was going to the fare, significantly better than Broxburn Gala-day, but to each their own. This trip resulted in a very heated round of dodgems in which there was only a few casualties... sorry parents. As young mature adults we then proceeded to take a stroll around a very relaxing and well-established area. Only to get stuck at the play-park. Dinner involved chicken, although if you ask Lewis he'll say it was Cat, and a delightful un boxing of Mac's club penguin cards. Unfortunately he got a 9 power frost, sucks to be him, I guess. Overall a very eventful first 24 hours in Romania.
Friday 17th - Abby and Chelsea
After a frantic rush we made it to Edinburgh airport around 11am, it's fair to say we weren't "buzzed" as Daniel would say. The first flight flew in and only lasted an hour and before we knew it we were in Luton airport. After going through security for a second time that day we were all fairly tired and that was only made worse as we remembered the 6 hour stopover ahead of us. However this was made much easier by the existence of galaxy and potentially the shadiest bowling alley in the UK. Afterwards we went back to the airport where chaos in sued. Alistair brought the wrong currency resulting in him being called "the dafty that brought euros to Romania and Katie losing her boarding pass whilst her and Abby where exploring Victoria's secret. Due to this drama time, passed pretty fast and we were on our second and last flight of the day. We were kept entertained on the plane by Daniel cracking jokes like no tomorrow. Until lightning struck outside our window, scaring us all half to death. Then after the 2 ½ hour flight and an hour long bus ride later we arrived at our destination and crawled in bed as fast as possible. Exhausted from the long days travel we had just endured.
Friday 17th June - And we're off!...
After a safe journey to Luton and another flight to Cluj, the team have arrived safely in Romania. The adventure now truly begins. Stay tuned for more updates. Coming soon the story of our journey over courtesy of Abby and Chelsea.
Mr McIntyre
Race Night
On Friday 13th November the team ran a race night to raise funds for the expedition and managed to raise a staggering £980. This takes us further towards our target of £10'400 but we still have a long way to go. If you think you could help the team with fundraising ideas we would love to hear from you.
Keep checking the website to find out details about our next event in January when we will be hosting a Burns' Ceilidh.
Team Selected
Congratulations to Katie, Kirsty, Abby, Chelsea, Kayleigh, Matthew, Daniel, Alistair, Lyle, Jacob, Christopher and Lewis who were all successful in their applications for the 2016 team.
The team will now begin the fundraising process for their expedition to Romania. This is a tough task with a target of £10'400 to raise. The team are always on the look out for good ideas or contributions. If you would like to help the team raise money for their expedition please get in touch with Mr McIntyre.
